The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-04
CITY POLITICS.

Meanwhile those eminently respectable
Democrats who ease their consciences occa-
sionally by complaining to News reporters
how this whole business sickens them to the
heart, will continue to dance to slow music
by the Coy orchestra.-The News.
The whole business which sickens those
emin emily respectable Democrats is the base
surrender of their party to its very worst ele-
ments, the subserviency to the Liquor League
and the saloon element, the resort to perjury
and forgery to carry elections, the tally
frauds and ballot-box smashing planned and
executed by Democratic bosses. In word,
the whole business is Coyism. No wonder
these things should sicken honest Demo
Gratis. There are hosts of Democrats who
would no more break open a ballotbox or
alter tally-sheet than they would pick your
pocket and who have manhood enough to
feel Inundated that such things are done in
the name and interest of Democracy. The
News says some of them have complained that
the whole business makes them sick, but it
adds, and we fear with prophetic spirit, they
will continue to dance to slow music by the
Coy orchestra" There is the trouble. Is it
party spirit, indifference to the public welfare
or what is it that prevents honest Democrats
from coming out boldly and rebuking and re-
pudiating the infamous leadership that is
bringing disgrace on their party and on the
city, Privately they will denounce the whole
business, but publicly they have not
word to say, and when election
day comes they 60 to the polls and
plump in a straight Democratic ticket.
A few of these honest Democrats who are
sick of Coyism have shown the courage of
their convictions, and joined publicly in a
movement to investigate the frauds and bring
the perpetrators to justice. All honor to
them. But much larger number have kept
silent, and even stood by and heard such men
as VIM. Henderson read out of the Demo-
sick, but we have no evidence that it did.
And within few days we have witnessed a
meeting of the Democratic city committee,
at which Coy himself presided and controlled
everything, informing the committee that
"the fewer men you have in this politics the
better it will be DONE" and arrogating to
himself the authority to make city ticket
for the convention to indorse. Will honest
| Democrats vote such a ticket, and
| tborahu ind ,p 4bo;r 49,
/ No doubt there will be some who if they can
not break the ring and throw off the yoke any
other way, will vote against it at the polls.
But we fear the number will not be as large
as it ought to be. 1t would be red-letter
day in city politics and a new departure in
city government if many hundreds of ''em-
inently respectable Democrats would turn
out on election day and beat the Sim Coy
ticket. The lesson would not be for the
Democratic party alone. 1t might inspire a
class of eminently respectable Republicans to
bestir themselves and look after their end of
the machine. City politics is none too clean
business at best, and under the passive,
stay-at-home policy of the eminently respect
able men of both parties, it easily goes from
bad to worse. If honest men ignore politics
and voluntarily take back seats, they canno,
complain if the Sim Coys and their kind
come to the front The same thing will hap
pen in the Republican party if honest Repub
licans do not take care. Honest Democrat.
are themselves to blame for the present prev
alence of Coyism in their party. It remain.
to be seen how long they will submit to it.